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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29422212">Altered Path</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ErzsebethBatoriova/pseuds/ErzsebethBatoriova'>ErzsebethBatoriova</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Arthur Morgan Has Tuberculosis, Chapter 6: Beaver Hollow (Red Dead Redemption 2), Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Everyone else is still dead, F/M, Gen, Goodbyes, High Honor Arthur Morgan, Sean lives, headcanons applied from earlier stories</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 12:42:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,202</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29422212</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ErzsebethBatoriova/pseuds/ErzsebethBatoriova</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Young Sean, the annoying little brother, was going to be an annoying father to some poor kid that Karen would have to deliver into this cruel world less than nine months from now. Well, maybe the world would prove less cruel if the two of them got as far away from Dutch as possible.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Karen Jones/Sean MacGuire</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Altered Path</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Long time no see! I’ve been playing RDR2 on the PC again and my inspiration to write for this fandom came back tenfold. I present to you an AU where Sean is alive (because as you ought to know by now, he’s one of my favorite characters) and this story is set where he makes it all the way to Beaver Hollow, but everyone else still perishes. One of these days I’ll have to write a story where everyone is alive! But for now, I wanted to write this AU out with Sean and Karen (another train wreck favorite of mine) shipped, and Arthur is going to deliver some news to them.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>With each passing day, Arthur struggled more and more to hide the fact that he was losing his battle with Tuberculosis. It was also increasingly difficult trying to persuade Dutch to stop listening to everything Micah had to say. That rat knew exactly what to say and how to say it so that Dutch would only ever view him in a positive light. Despite a good portion of the gang despising Micah, Dutch wouldn't allow anyone to get in the way of his ideals, not even those he considered family.</p><p>Due to the gradual downward spiral, they lost members of their group. At first, their major losses had only been Mac, Davey, and Jenny. Dutch vowed no more lives would be lost... Then Kieran was the next to earn his place among the fallen, then Hosea... Lenny... Slowly, but surely, the remaining gang members lost hope. They were barely hanging on by a thread by the time they arrived at Beaver Hollow. Reverend Swanson slipped away not that long ago, and he revealed to Arthur that he tried to convince some of the women to leave.</p><p>After Miss Grimshaw shot and killed Molly for ratting their group out to the Pinkertons about the Saint Denis bank heist, and after Karen screamed at Grimshaw and called her a murderer, Arthur was determined to get the rest of them out of there, for their own safety, but without making it obvious to Dutch and Micah.</p><p>Long after the sun disappeared behind the mountains, and after a rough coughing fit, Arthur carefully ventured down the slope of their camp until he arrived at the shore of the river. He discovered Karen sitting on the ground and staring across the water, with Sean standing over her. Upon hearing footsteps behind them, Sean turned and aimed his rifle at Arthur, but immediately lowered it.</p><p>"Jesus, Morgan, you really do look like Death warmed over," the Irishman teased, but there was that hint of sorrow in his voice. He wasn't stupid, nor was anyone else in the group. There was no hope for Arthur, but there was no sense in treating him as if he were as helpless as a babe, either. After Karen sniffled loudly, Sean asked, "They really did it, didn't they? They took Miss O'Shea's body to burn?"</p><p>Arthur nodded. "Yeah."</p><p>"I hate it here," Karen mumbled as she used the back of her hand to wipe away her tears. She didn't get up, but her voice was loud enough to hear. "I hate what's happened. She didn't have to die like that. I always knew Grimshaw would slaughter any one of us like pigs!"</p><p>Arthur removed his hat and ran his fingers through his hair. It'd been a while since he last got it cut, but at this point it didn't matter. Not like a fresh shave would spare him from his fate. "You two need to take off outta here," he said as he placed his hat back on his head and glanced over his shoulder at the small hillside that led back to camp. Smoke rose from the campfire, but there weren’t any happy gang members gathered around the fire like once upon a time. No more campfire stories or sing-alongs. The folks that hid away in the woods west of Annesburg were mere shadows of what their group once represented.</p><p>"Where we off to?" Sean asked as he helped Karen up to her feet. It'd been ages since Karen was asked to come along on a job, and any excuse to leave camp was good enough for her. "Robbin'? Plunderin'? Some good ol' fashion stick-'em-up alongside these roads?"</p><p>Arthur slowly shook his head and hunched over as another coughing bout consumed him. His entire body trembled as he spat out blood, and he could feel Karen's arms around him to help steady him.</p><p>"Arthur," she began to say, her voice slightly quivering. It actually pained Arthur to hear her so fearful and scared. Karen was never scared of anything. She was tough and fearless, and quite capable with a gun, but even the bravest of men and women would have their spirits crushed with what their group went through in the past few months. Meanwhile, Sean looked like he'd seen a ghost. The boy was already as pale as could be, but there was a haunting reflection in his eyes that was impossible to deny. Cocky, bold, and never afraid to speak his mind, losing Hosea and the others struck a nerve in the young man like nothing else.</p><p>"I mean," Arthur corrected as he managed to straighten himself as best as he could so he could speak to the both of them with some level of dignity, "you two... leave the group. Don't look back, don't say nothing to nobody. This is all over with."</p><p>Karen pressed her lips together, unsure of what to say. Sean chuckled quietly and lifted a brow. "Come on, Englishman,” he said, “I've told you before. You're a fucking funny shit you are. Like real funny--"</p><p>"No jokes, Sean. I mean it." Even with the dark circles under Arthur's eyes, there was an edge to his stare that couldn't be dulled by anything. "I know about you and Karen expecting. Known for some time, and if you two stick around here any longer, the three of you won't make it out."</p><p>Now it was Karen's turn to turn pale as her lips went slack, and a hand fell over her stomach. With the big blouse and long skirt, it was nearly impossible to see the small bump forming, but it was there never the less. Sean hung his head and stared at the ground. It was as if Arthur could see the young man thinking about what he'd just heard, and how there was no way out of this situation, other than turning his back on a gang he vowed complete loyalty to.</p><p>"Dutch isn't loyal to us like he wants us to be for him," Arthur reminded the two, wanting to reinforce how dire their circumstance was. “Look at how he acted after losing everyone… It’s only gonna get worse, and I don’t want either of you around for it no more. Trelawny, Swanson--they saw the writing on the wall. You won't see neither of 'em back."</p><p>Karen tensed upon hearing those words, but she returned to Sean’s side, where she reached out to clasp his wrist. The Irishman finally lifted his head and gazed at the blonde. Arthur watched the silent exchange between them. He could still hear Sean's taunt about being the future in all its glory. It was shortly after he'd been rescued from the bounty hunters. Young Sean, the annoying little brother, was going to be an annoying father to some poor kid that Karen would have to deliver into this cruel world less than nine months from now. Well, maybe the world would prove less cruel if the two of them got as far away from Dutch as possible.</p><p>Sean turned to Arthur and asked, "What about Marston and the rest? You gonna get them out too?"</p><p>"Gonna try my best," the older man vowed, "especially Marston and his family."</p><p>Karen chewed on her lower lip and sighed deeply. "I can't believe this is really gonna be it, then..."</p><p>Before he knew it, Karen went over and carefully hugged him. He couldn't help but hug her back, remembering their deep conversations when life hadn't been so downright awful and chaotic. For as rough as she was, she was also a great listener and not afraid to give him the straight, honest truth. He was going to miss that about her.</p><p>"Be a good mama to your kid," he told her as they broke away from one another. Then motioning to Sean, he said to her, "Make sure he don't fall asleep on the job being a father like he does for guard duty."</p><p>"Har, har," Sean remarked, knowing fully well he wasn't the best when it came to staying awake for long hours. His easy-going façade broke when the realization of what was going to take place hit him once more. "Shit... This is really happening, isn't it?"</p><p>"'Fraid so, MacGuire. Now, you gotta keep yourself, Karen, and the baby outta sight. Think about your future, think about what you gotta do to provide for your family, but do it so you end up living long enough to be a grandpa, understand?"</p><p>"The kid's gonna have a righteous, tough bastard of a <em>da</em> looking out for 'im," Sean vowed, but he couldn’t lie. Hearing Arthur say the word "grandpa" and knowing he'd never make it to be that old age tore at his heart—but Sean wouldn't cry. He wasn't the type to shed tears, even when he was completely drunk. Knowing this was the absolute last time he'd spend with Arthur Morgan... it came damn close to making his eyes water. Instead, he clasped one of Arthur's arms, and Arthur returned the gesture. The symbol of brotherhood would remain strong no matter what. As much as Arthur appreciated these two sticking with the gang in spite of their heavy losses, he'd rather see them gone than risk losing them in the line of fire.</p><p>"C'mon," Arthur said as he withdrew from Sean. "Quietly get what you can carry and meet me by the horses, and make sure Micah or his men don’t see you.”</p><p> </p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p> </p><p>A rosy hue was cast across the skies by the time a train was seen approaching the Annesburg station from a distance. Sean and Karen stood at the platform with their belongings with Arthur alongside them. Ennis and Old Belle were tied to a post at the front of the station with Arthur's mount; Arthur promised Sean and Karen to have their horses transported to California with them. With all the money he stashed away for himself since the gang's escape from Blackwater, he had more than enough to spare when it came to helping his friends.</p><p>"To think we're gonna make it to California before ol' Dutch ever does," Sean said, and it was followed with a snicker.</p><p>"He won't ever make it," Karen countered as she once again rested a hand over her small stomach. "He ain't gonna change. I don't think it's possible--"</p><p>She abruptly turned to Arthur and said, "I know you said 'no' during our ride here, but please... please, Arthur? Come with us? My sister and her family will have more than enough room for us! We can figure out a way to warn the others while we're far away! She can pay for the best doctor to help you!"</p><p>Arthur offered Karen a tired, sad smile. "No can do, Miss Karen. My time's short. Won't matter where I go anyhow even if I changed my mind. What'll happen to me is gonna happen, and besides, I gotta keep trying with Dutch."</p><p>Karen balled up her fists and looked ready to pummel Arthur. She was no stranger to getting physical if called for it. In the end, she relaxed her hands and just looked away in quiet defeat, her mess of curls brushing against her face while doing so.</p><p>"You always were a stubborn bastard, Arthur Morgan," Sean said, right before the train blew its whistle as it pulled up to the station. "Even 'til the end, you gotta be stuck on your ways."</p><p>Behind those words, Sean was wanting to implore the same way Karen did. They both wanted Arthur to come with them, to start over in a brand-new place. Instead, he would resign his fate with the one person who brought him into this life: Dutch. There would be no changing his mind about it.</p><p>As soon as the train stopped and people trickled out of the cars, Arthur helped his friends carry their luggage inside. Karen refused to look at Arthur once she gave her ticket to the conductor and sat down next to a window. Sean handed over his ticket before turning to Arthur.</p><p>"Gonna be telling the kiddo all about their hell raisin' Uncle Arthur," the young gunman promised as he patted Arthur on the upper arm. He even gripped his shoulder as if prepared to wrestle him down into the seat by force, but before he knew it, the train whistle blew, and announcement was made for their departure. Sean let go of Arthur one last time and somberly said, "So long."</p><p>Arthur smirked and nodded at Sean, then said, "Don't go killing each other now before the baby comes. Even after it does, go easy on each other."</p><p>He turned and stepped out of the car. Once his boots hit the platform, the train pushed forward. Arthur watched as the cars moved ahead, and that was when Karen's face peered out from the window. She placed a hand upon the glass and stared longingly at Arthur as he became smaller and smaller. He remained on the platform until the train completely vanished over the winding hills.</p><p>Arthur let out a sigh of relief.</p><p>While there were two less loved ones to worry about, his work was far from done.</p>
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